Look skyward for a chance to see comet

This March 2 photo made available by spaceweather.com shows the comet, Pan-STARRS, seen from Queenstown, New Zealand. The recently discovered comet is closer than it's ever been to Earth, and stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere finally get to see it. The comet passed within 100 million miles of Earth on March 5, its closest approach in its first-ever cruise through the inner solar system. The best viewing days should be Tuesday and Wednesday, March 12 and 13, when Pan-STARRS appears next to a crescent moon at dusk in the western sky. Until then, glare from the sun will obscure the comet.

Published: Friday, March 8, 2013 at 7:14 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 8, 2013 at 10:55 p.m.

DAYTONA BEACH — If everything falls into place and the weather cooperates, you may get a picture perfect view of a comet with the naked eye over the next few days.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University associate professor Jason Aufdenberg is "cautiously optimistic" stargazers will get a chance Sunday, Monday or Tuesday to see comet Pan-STARRS as it gets closer to the sun.

"There is a possibility, but no one knows what to expect because comets are fickle," said Aufdenberg, who oversees the university's Creekside Observatory.

Aufdenberg was in grad school in 1997 the last time he got a good view of a comet, one called Hale-Bopp, that was 10 times larger than Pan-STARRS, he said.

Comets are icy remnants "like dirty snowballs that fall from the outer solar system," Aufdenberg said, and it's hard to predict "how they will behave." But some are hopeful because the closer it is to the sun, the brighter it will be.

Pan-STARRS, named for the telescope astronomers in Hawaii used to discover it in 2011, made its first appearance — very dimly — in the Northern Hemisphere sky on Thursday.

On Sunday, looking to the west, "there will be a little window just after sunset where there is still a little bit of light coming off the sun, but not too much" where the comet may be completely visible, according to Seth Mayo, curator of astronomy for the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach.

Aufdenberg also said the comet may be even easier to see Tuesday, just above and to the left of "a very thin crescent moon."

This is a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to see Pan-STARRS, Mayo said, because this particular comet is not expected to come around again for another 100,000 years, unlike other comets.

He also described it as "almost an appetizer" to what people may see later this year with another comet called ISON expected to be even brighter.

"This year there is some possibility of comet sightings, which is always fun to look forward to," Mayo said.

<p>DAYTONA BEACH &mdash; If everything falls into place and the weather cooperates, you may get a picture perfect view of a comet with the naked eye over the next few days. </p><p>Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University associate professor Jason Aufdenberg is "cautiously optimistic" stargazers will get a chance Sunday, Monday or Tuesday to see comet Pan-STARRS as it gets closer to the sun.</p><p>"There is a possibility, but no one knows what to expect because comets are fickle," said Aufdenberg, who oversees the university's Creekside Observatory. </p><p>Aufdenberg was in grad school in 1997 the last time he got a good view of a comet, one called Hale-Bopp, that was 10 times larger than Pan-STARRS, he said. </p><p>Comets are icy remnants "like dirty snowballs that fall from the outer solar system," Aufdenberg said, and it's hard to predict "how they will behave." But some are hopeful because the closer it is to the sun, the brighter it will be. </p><p>Pan-STARRS, named for the telescope astronomers in Hawaii used to discover it in 2011, made its first appearance &mdash; very dimly &mdash; in the Northern Hemisphere sky on Thursday. </p><p>On Sunday, looking to the west, "there will be a little window just after sunset where there is still a little bit of light coming off the sun, but not too much" where the comet may be completely visible, according to Seth Mayo, curator of astronomy for the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach. </p><p>Aufdenberg also said the comet may be even easier to see Tuesday, just above and to the left of "a very thin crescent moon."</p><p>This is a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to see Pan-STARRS, Mayo said, because this particular comet is not expected to come around again for another 100,000 years, unlike other comets. </p><p>He also described it as "almost an appetizer" to what people may see later this year with another comet called ISON expected to be even brighter. </p><p>"This year there is some possibility of comet sightings, which is always fun to look forward to," Mayo said.</p>